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The Republican incumbent in District 3, which includes parts of Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties (Pensacola area), recently resigned, creating a special election on February 27th where anything could happen.We can win this seat, but only if you help us.

Last week, retired Navy Chief Elizabeth Campbell captured the District 3 Democratic nomination. Elizabeth, or 'Liz', as she's known to her friends, served our country for more than 20 years in the United States Navy. Liz has spent her life standing up for her country, and now she is ready to serve again.

Elizabeth needs our help to win the general election against a well-funded Republican candidate that managed to beat MSNBC's Joe Scarborough's brother in their primary.

You can contribute $25, $50, $100..all the way up to $500 -- and every dime will go toward helping her win. For example, $100 will help her pay for almost 250 mailers to voters in the district.

Our internal party analysis shows that if Elizabeth has enough money to communicate her message, and enough volunteers to turn out the vote, she can win this race. We can't let an opportunity like this slip away. Let's lock up Republican-held seats like this now, so we can keep expanding the playing field in 2008.

We have a prime opportunity to win this seat in Republican-leaning North Florida. Elizabeth is a great candidate, and she deserves our help. Elizabeth Campbell served us in our military, now it's time for us to serve her. Please help her today with a contribution. Even a small donation can go a long way in a special election like this.

You can learn more about Elizabeth and her commitment to community at her website: www.lizcampbell2007.com. To volunteer your time, call 850-433-0592.

If Democrats are going to win back the majority in Florida's Legislature, we know we have to compete in more and more districts. In addition to House District 3, there will be another special election, this one in House District #49 (Orange and Osceola counties) in late April. These elections, of course, cost money. You can also contribute to the Florida Democratic Party's long-term efforts to take back the majority at www.fladems.com/contribute.

Please forward this message to your friends, in Florida and around the country. Last November, we gained seven seats in the state house---the sixth largest gain in the country. We are on the right track, and with your help, we can continue to climb toward the majority.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Karen ThurmanChair, Florida Democratic Party

P.S. - If you are unable to contribute to Liz Campbell's campaign online, please send a check to the following address:

The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition has launched a letter writing campaign to to the Executive Clemency Board to support rights restoration. Below is an e-alert. For more information visit www.restorerights. org. The Executive Clemency Board is meeting March 1st so get your letters in now!

*TAKE ACTION*

Contact Governor Crist and Cabinet Members

Support Civil Rights Restoration Reform

Reform can happen now! Let's make our voices heard!

Close to one million Floridians can have their civil rights restored immediately. Civil rights include the fundamental right to vote, right to hold public office and right to serve on a jury. Civil rights restoration will also enable people to obtain certain state occupational licenses for meaningful employment opportunities.

Now, these Florida citizens are locked out of the democratic process by Florida 's Reconstruction Era civil rights ban.

Florida 's current civil rights ban is one of the three worst in the nation. It's past time for Florida to join the rest of the nation, and other western democracies, by restoring civil rights to citizens who have paid their debt to society

Change can happen NOW. Gov. Crist, with two other members of the Board of Executive Clemency (composed of Gov. Crist, CFO Alex Sink, Attorney General Bill McCollum, and Commissioner Charles Bronson) can make civil rights restoration virtually automatic now for all Florida citizens. All they need to do is sign an Executive Order or revise the Rules of Executive Clemency.

Governor Crist supports civil rights restoration: he's said so during his gubernatorial campaign, and his website cites civil rights restoration as Gov. Crist's sole civil rights priority. CFO Alex Sink and Commissioner Charles Bronson support civil rights restoration, but with some exceptions for certain types of crimes. Attorney General McCollum supports the current clemency process, which is cumbersome and costs taxpayers millions of dollars each year.

CHANGE CAN HAPPEN NOW! TAKE ACTION NOW!

Tell Governor Crist and members of the Cabinet that you support civil rights restoration. They need to know that Florida voters expect immediate reform!

Join Governor Crist by signing an Executive Order and amending the Rules of Executive Clemency to make civil rights restoration virtually automatic NOW for ALL of the close to one million Floridians who have lost their civil rights

You can help close to one million Floridians regain first class citizenship, become full participants in the democratic process, and become eligible for gainful employment

Support FULL civil rights restoration. Compelling public safety considerations support civil rights restoration for ALL citizens, without exception for certain classes of ex-offenders

Removing barriers faced by ex-offenders is good for our democracy and good for our communities

Feel free to address these points in your communications to Commissioner Bronson

Join Governor Crist by signing an Executive Order and amending the Rules of Executive Clemency to making civil rights restoration virtually automatic NOW for ALL of the close to one million Floridians who have lost their civil rights

Sign an Executive Order and amend the Rules of Executive Clemency

You can help close to one million Floridians regain first class citizenship, become full participants in the democratic process, and become eligible for gainful employment

Support FULL civil rights restoration. Compelling public safety considerations support civil rights restoration for ALL citizens, without exception for certain classes of ex-offenders

Remove barriers faced by ex-offenders is good for our democracy and good for our communities

Feel free to address these points in your communications to Attorney General McCollum:

Join Governor Crist by signing an Executive Order and amending the Rules of Executive Clemency to making civil rights restoration virtually automatic NOW for ALL of the close to one million Floridians who have lost their civil rights

Sign an Executive Order and amend the Rules of Executive Clemency

You can help close to one million Floridians regain first class citizenship, become full participants in the democratic process, and become eligible for gainful employment

Support FULL civil rights restoration. Compelling public safety considerations support civil rights restoration for ALL citizens, without exception for certain classes of ex-offenders

Lifetime punishment of ex-offenders does not make our communities safer; compelling public safety considerations support civil rights restoration for ALL citizens who have paid their debt to society.

Tallahassee -- New Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who has led bipartisan efforts to lower property insurance rates and replace touch-screen voting machines, is getting overwhelming support from voters, a poll released Tuesday shows.

More than two-thirds of Floridians, 69 percent, sampled in a random telephone survey by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute approve of the way their new governor has taken to his duties while only 6 percent disapproved.

Even an overwhelming majority of Democrats applauded the Republican governor's performance with 65 percent giving a thumbs up and just 7 percent disapproving.

"It's very gratifying, but what's most important is to continue to serve the people," said Crist, who was traveling in the tornado-ravaged central Florida area Tuesday.

"The paper trail, insurance reform, it's the right thing to do," Democratic Party spokesman Mark Bubriski said Tuesday. "He (Crist) has taken a lot of Democratic ideas and pushed them to the forefront which is a lot more than we expected."

More than half of the survey, taken between Jan. 29 and Feb. 4, was completed by the time the tornados tore through central Florida. Quinnipiac said the poll of 1,003 voters had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush's top rating came in September 2004 after a series of destructive hurricanes when 62 percent approved of his performance compared to 30 percent who didn't. Quinnipiac wasn't polling in Florida in early 1999 when Bush took office.

Two-thirds of the respondents in Quinnipiac's newest poll believe Crist has kept his campaign promises and three of five believe he'll get homeowners insurance rates and property taxes reduced. Crist worked with Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature last month to pass a bill aimed at lowering insurance rates.

He also appeared with Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler to announce a proposal that would replace touch-screen voting machines, which have no paper trail, with optical scan machines, which count paper ballots.

"He has made a very strong first impression," said Peter Brown, assistant polling director for Quinnipiac. "It's Charlie Crist's show."

By comparison, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, who won re-election the same day Crist was elected, has a 54 percent approval rating compared to 18 percent who said they don't like how the Democrat is handling his job.

According to the poll, 59 percent said owners of homes of equal value should pay the same amount of property tax no matter how long they've resided in the home. Seventy-seven percent support the governor's call to double the homestead exemption from $25,000 to $50,000.

Florida voters, however, were not enthused about moving up the date of its early March presidential primary to increase the state's presence in picking the eventual nominees.

While Democratic voters were slightly more amenable to the idea, just 46 percent overall said they liked the idea compared to 36 percent opposed to it with 19 percent unsure.

"It's hard to get people excited about political maneuvering," Brown said.

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Ron Mills

Ron@RonMills.us

About Me

I am progressive. I am liberal. I make no apologies. I believe government has an obligation to create an even playing field for all of this country's citizens and immigrants alike. I am not a socialist. I do not seek enforced equality. However, there has to be equality of opportunity, and the private sector, left to its own devices, will never achieve this goal. This site is for Liberals and progressives news and commentary.- Ron Mills 954-394-4980 Ron@RonMills.us